Projectile



J. L. AUXIER Nov. 1, 1960 PROJECTILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16,1954 IN VEN TOR Zzzn/ Z a/MM BY l W im d/o//My J. L. AUXIER Nov. 1, 1960PROJ ECTILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1954 nite States The presentinvention relates to ordnance projectiles and more particularly andspecically to expanding bullets for use in sport riiles for gamehunting.

For many years expanding bullets were manufactured in the form of asimple soft -metal projectile such as lead the forward end of whichwould mushroom and expand on impact. These projectiles were completelysatisfactory in service during that period of time when simple blackpowder charges were used as the initiating force.

. With the advent of smokeless powder it was discovered that theincreased velocities at which projectiles travelled required an improvedprojectile construction which would otter an increased deterrent to theexpansion of the rear portion of lthe projectile on impact and whichwould tend to permit the rear portion of the projectile to remainsubstantially intact for the purpose of maintaining the momentum of theprojectile after impact to carry it into or through the target.

In order to accomplish this desired result, projectiles weremanufactured with copper or gilding metal jackets with an impounded leadcore in -the forward portion of the projectile.

Because of increased technology and improved manufacturing techniquesthe velocities of projectiles have continued to increase since theadvent of smokeless powder so that today projectiles travel atvelocities in excess of lthree thousand feet per second. With projectilejackets made in accordance with certain prior art constructions properexpansion of the forward nose portion and continued intactness of therearward portion are lost at the present day high velocities.

Certain prior constructions suggest that the jackets now belmanufactured strong enough to retard expansion at close range. Howeverit has been discovered that jackets constructed with such a strengthwould not properly expand iat long range with a reduction in velocitywhereupon the projectile would pass entirely through the object struckwith only a small puncture such as would be produced by a full jacketbullet.

With these foregoing problems in mind certain prior constructions havesuggested making a projectile jacket with a thickened rear wall portiondecreasing in a tapered thickness through the forward nose portion ofthe jacket. However I have discovered that projectiles made along thelines of these constructions do not offer proper difference between thestrengths of the front and rear sections to properly control expansion:and momentum at high velocities and at varied ranges. Furthermore, Ihave discovered that projectiles made in accordance with these priorconstructions often permit a separation of the jacket and -core uponimpact thereby destroying the momentum and piercing effect of theprojectile.

With the numerous disadvantages and problems in mind which are inherentin prior expanding bullet constructions, I have discovered that it isnecessary to prevent disintegration of the jacket yand to retain theAcore in proper relationship with the rear portion of the proateint2,958,287 Patented Nov. 1, 1960 jectile both prior to and after impact.By producing a projectile having these characteristics it has beendiscovered that an extremely eilicient and dependable expanding bulletfor use `at extremely high velocities can be provided with results inboth proper expansion and penetration characteristics.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide anexpanding bullet which overcomes those many disadvantages inherent inprior constructions.

It is a specific object of the present invention to provide Ianexpanding bullet for use in game hunting riles which will oer correctpenetration and expanding characteristics at extremely high velocitiesand at varied ranges. l

It is another object of this invention to provide an expanding bulletwhich present-s a soft, malleable core in the forward nose portion ofthe projectile Iand which provides for a strengthened rearwardprojectile portion which will retain its shape and configuration uponand following impact for the purpose of providing penetration.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anexpanding bullet which consists of a simple one-piece jacketconstruction having a cup-like partition member located therein at anintermediate position along the length of the projectile which willserve to strengthen the rearward penetrating portion of the projectile.

Another object of the present invention lies in the provision of anexpanding projectile which is readily adapted to and capable ofextremely simple and inexpensive manufacture by virtue of its extremelysimple and efficient construction.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome readily evident to those skilled in the art when the parts,constructions and arrangements comprising the present invention areunderstood from the following general statement, description andillustrations.

The present invention may be stated in general terms as consisting of anexpanding nose projectile including a one-piece jacket having a taperednose, -a soft core filling said jacket, land a cup-like partition memberwithin said jacket intermediate its length dividing the core into noseand heel portions.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like numeralsdesignate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation in vertical section of the improvedprojectile constituting the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation in vertical section of a modified form of thelinvention as shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an elevation in vertical section of an additional form of theinvention;

Fig. 4 is an elevation in vertical section of a modied form of theinvention;

Fig. 5 is an elevation in vertical section of a modiiied form of theconstruction shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. `6 is an elevation in vertical section of a modied y Fig. 10 is amodified form ofthe construction shown Fig. 9;

shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a further modified form of the construction*as Fig. 12 is amodified form of the constructions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the accompanying drawings there are illustrated several modied formsof constructing a projectile in accordance with the present invention,however, all of such modications have a basic and generic constructionwhich as set forth in the foregoing general statement includes theutilization of a cup-like partition member intermediate the length of aprojectile jacket for the purpose of dividing the core of the jacketinto nose and heel sections.

Referring now in particular to Fig. 1 wherein the projectile isgenerally designated at and specifically includes a one-piece jacket 11of elongated tubular construction having a closed base end 12 and atapered nose end 13 which is open as at 14 in its restricted area.

Located within the one-piece jacket at a point intermediate the lengththereof is a cup-like partition element 15 which includes a tubular wallsection 16 provided with a circular end closing wall member 17. 'I'hecup-like partition member is positioned Within the jacket in an invertedposition with the extended circumferential end portion 1S of thecircular wall section 16 abutted with the inside face of the closedjacket base 12 and thereby locating the end closing wall 17 transverselyof the jacket at a point intermediate the base and the nose thereof.

The jacket 11 is lled with a metallic core 19 both forward and rearwardof the partition element end wall 17, the core being of a soft malleablemetal such as lead or the like which will atten or mushroom in the noseportion of the shell upon impact with a target. The core portion in thenose element of the jacket is filled forwardly beyond the tapered openend of the jacket 14 to form a pointed soft core nose 20 on theprojectile in advance of the jacket.

In the manufacture of a projectile of the type above set forth, thecup-like partition element is formed with an outside diametersubstantially identical with the inside diameter of the jacket so that aportion of the core may be poured into the jacket, the cup-likepartition member, in an inverted position, tightly telescoped downwardlythrough the open nose of the jacket to enclose the core portion, theremainder of the core being poured on top of the end wall 17 of thepartition member, and then the nose portion being contracted into itstapered form in shaped iinished condition.

As an alternative to the foregoing method of manufacture the cup-likepartition member may be drawn or extruded in place within the jacketmember prior to the closing operation at the base end of the jacket. Bymanufacture of the projectile by this second method it would benecessary to ill the core portion within the cup-like member from thebase end of the jacket before closing the same.

In the projectile construction illustrated in Fig. 2 all the parts andthe arrangement of the parts of the projectile are identical with thosedescribed relative to the disclosure of Fig. 1 with the exception of theformation of a cannelure 21 annularly around the jacket wall immediatelyabove the end wall 17 of the partition member, said cannelure beingformed to a sucient depth to overlie the end wall 17 thereby securelyretaining the partition member in place rearwardly of the jacket.

In the other modification of the projectile construction as shown inFig. l, the end wall 17 of the partition member is provided with a crownportion 22, as shown in Fig. 12, to provide an increased thickness fromthe center portion outwardly of the wall for the purpose of givingadditional strength and penetrating force to the heel portion of theprojectile.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 6 another form of the present invention isshown wherein, in Fig. 3, a partition element 23 is located within theprojectile jacket 11 in the form of a cup-like member wherein therearward end of the cup member is provided with an end closing wall 24which is located juxtaposition with the closed base end 12 of theprojectile and the forward end wall is formed thereon by an ini/turnedflange member 25 deiining a central opening 26 therein whichcommunicates between the nose and heel sections of the jacket and whichpermits the core to be poured in a continuous one-step operation.

The modiiied form shown in Fig. 6 includes a hollow tubular member 27having completely closed front and rear end walls 28 and 29 whichcompletely conine the core portion 19 therein and completely separatethe heel portion of the core from the nose portion of the core.

In Figs. 4 `and 5 there are shown modications of the projectileconstruction wherein the cup-like partition member includes a partitionwall or end wall 30 having a short flanged, circular side wall 31thereabout. In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the cup-like member ispositioned with the anged side wall 31 extending rearwardly of theprojectile in close adjacency with the side wall of the projectile andterminating at a spaced distance away from the base end of theprojectile locating the end wall at an intermediate position lengthwiseof the projectile and dividing the core into nose and heel portions.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the positioning of the cup-likepartition member is reversed with the end wall 30 in substantially thesame location lengthwise of the projectile as is provided by theconstruction of Fig. 4 but in which the anged side wall portions arepositioned to extend forwardly toward the nose of the projectile.

The projectile constructions shown in Figs. 7 and 8 include a modifiedform of the cup-like partition member wherein the member includes a wallportion 32 extending transversely of the jacket intermediate its lengthand is provided with substantially equally extending side walls 33extending forwardly and rearwardly therefrom to form a double cuppartition of H configuration in cross section. In Fig. 7 the partitionmember is formed as a single unit, whereas in the construction shown inFig. 8 the central wall member 32 is formed in two parts accomplished byusing two cup members similar' to the partition member shown in Fig. 1positioned in base to base abutting position within the projectile tolocate the dividing wall member 32 at a point intermediate theprojectile length and disposing the open end of each cup forwardly andrearwardly of the projectile respectively.

In order to adapt the present projectile construction to an open basetype of projectile it is possible by utilizing the constructions shownin Figs. 9 and l0 to produce a projectile jacket 33 having an opentapered nose portion 34 and an open ended base 35 to insert in invertedposition through the open base a cup-like partition member 36 and then,by leaving a rearward portion of the side walls of the partition inextended position through the open jacket base, turning over therearward wall portion of the partition upon the outer wall of the jacketlocking the same in place thereon.

In Fig. l0 the locking feature or arrangement of the partition to thejacket is accomplished in reverse to that shown in Fig. 9 wherein thejacket wall is turned in and locked over the rearward end of thepartition side wall.

The disclosure of Fig. 11 is for the purpose of illustrating the abilityof the present projectile to be made by inserting a cup-like partitionthrough the base end of the projectile and then swaging the base end ofthe projectile closed as at 37 to form a one-piece jacket and produce aprojectile of the type shown in Fig. 1.

In accordance with the foregoing it can be seen that new and improvedexpanding nose projectile construction has been provided which iscapable of efficient and low cost manufacture by any of several possiblemeans consistent with present manufacturing equipment and techniques.

It is also evident that a projectile has been provided which is capableof manufacture in any one of several modied forms to Iproduce aresultant expanding nose bullet which inherently accomplishes andsatises all of those objects and advantages heretofore set forth.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention in the severalpossible and preferred embodiments thereof, what I desire to claim is:

A projectile including a tubular jacket having a forwardly tapering noseportion, a soft core entirely llling the jacket, a short tubular memberhaving one closed end, said tubular member being positionedconcentrical- 1y adjacent the inner wall of the jacket and disposed withthe closed end thereof in a forwardly direction, a second tubular memberhaving one closed end, said second tubular member being positionedconcentrically adjacent the inner wall of the jacket forwardly of theirst tubular member and having the closed end thereof disposed insurface to surface abutment with the forwardly disposed end enclosingwall of said rst tubular member; whereby the end enclosing walls of saidtubular members form a partition within the jacket dividing the coreinto nose and heel portions and providing a double jacket wall thicknessthrough the length of the heel portion and through a part of the lengthof the nose portion immediately forward of the heel portion.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

